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It will be a battle of speed and determination this weekend as swimmers compete and endure the Lackawanna County Championship meet.

Athletes from the schools that make up the Northern Division of the Wyoming Valley Conference will be seeking championship titles in individual and relay races.

Trials for the races will tentatively start Saturday at 10, then the finals will go off at 6 p.m. at the Scranton High School natatorium. If weather impacts the meet, there is a plan to move the event to a finals only format beginning at 4 p.m.

The diving championships scheduled for today have been rescheduled to Thursday at 5:30 p.m.

Scranton Prep junior Mia Nonnenberg has left an indelible mark on the meet. As a freshman, she won four gold medals and set individual meet records in the 200-yard freestyle in 1 minute, 57.54 seconds and in the 500 with a time of 5:20.97.

For an encore last winter, she repeated her four-gold-medal performance and set meet records in the 200 individual medley with a time of 2:09.06 and in the 100 fly in 59.63.

Nonnenberg is seeded first in the 100 free by almost four seconds and seeded first in the 100 breaststroke.

Scranton Prep's Katie Voitik is the only other individual champion returning. She won the 200 freestyle as a freshman and is the top seed this year with a 1:59.03. Scranton's Erin Kazmierczak is second at 1:59.83.

In the boys meet, several champions are returning, but many swimmers choose to change events based on their postseason training schedules.

Delaware Valley's Rian Fowler won the 50 free and is the top seed at 22.88. Wallenpaupack's Eric Usbeck won the 100 breast last season.

Instead, Pfaeffle will swim the 100 fly and 100 free, Spencer will compete in the 200 IM and the 100 back and Larson will be in the 100 fly.

"I'm looking to have some good races and have some good seed times for districts," Pfaeffle said. "It's a good meet and you don't have to get too stressed out like at districts because that could be your last race.

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